HOMER. The Odyssey of Homer. Translated by Alexander Pope. London: printed for J. Whiston, Baker and Leigh, and others, 1771. Four volumes, 17.5 × 11 cm.
Originally published in 1725–1726, with substantial contributions from William Broome and Elijah Fenton, Pope’s translation renders Odysseus’s long return from Troy in the polished heroic couplets of the Augustan age.
A handsome four-volume edition of Homer’s Odyssey in Alexander Pope’s celebrated English translation, preserved in attractive contemporary gilt, polished calf. Uniformly bound with gilt borders to the boards and raised bands. Contrasting morocco lettering and numbering pieces, gilt board edges and turn-ins, marbled endpapers and red-stained edges complete an appealing Georgian library set.
Provenance
Engraved armorial bookplate of George White, Esq., to the front pastedown of each volume, with a shield surrounded by floral garlands and surmounted by a demi-lion holding a flag. The design appears consistent with a late-eighteenth-century date.
Condition
Bindings with rubbing, scuffing and surface marks; board edges and corners worn, with small losses to the leather and exposure of the underlying board in places. Spines rubbed, with wear and loss to the gilt and labels, and chipping at the head and foot, particularly to volume III. Joints rubbed and locally cracked; boards remain attached.
Marbled endpapers remain attractive. Contents generally clean and bright, with occasional light spotting, toning and handling marks. Horizontal creasing to the title leaf of volume I. Red-stained edges with some fading, rubbing and marks. A visually appealing set retaining much of its original decorative character.
Bibliographic Note
Published in London in 1771 by a trade conger of leading booksellers including J. Whiston, Baker & Leigh, W. Strahan, and T. Payne. Issued in a compact 12mo format, this set reproduces Alexander Pope's benchmark translation of the Odyssey. Although produced concurrently alongside a matching five-volume Iliad, this four-volume Odyssey was also sold independently.
Vol. I: [4], lix, [2], 63–292 pp.; Vol. II: [4], 314 pp.; Vol. III: [10], xiii, [1], 361 pp.; Vol. IV: [10], 366 pp.
Reference
ESTC T90240.
